Anne Enright's acclaimed novel The Green Road has been overlooked for the Man Booker Prize shortlist.
The work by the 2007 winner had made the longlist of 12, but has been jettisoned as the field from which the winner will be chosen is narrowed to six.
Works by two American authors - Anne Tyler and Hanya Yanagihara - make the list, as do a pair of British writers, Tom McCarthy and Sunjeev Sahota. Jamaica's Marlon James and Nigeria's Chigozie Obioma round out the list.
The winner of the prestigious prize will be announced in a month's time, at a ceremony in London on October 13.
The Shortlist is:
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Satin Island by Tom McCarthy
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara